1. Field of the Application
The present application relates to a medical support system for supporting intravenous bags and associated mechanical equipment.
2. Background Art
Solutions of nutritional fluids are often supplied to patients intravenously. In many instances, a stand supports a fluid bag adjacent to a patient, and mechanical apparatuses such as pumps and monitoring devices are optionally provided in association with the intravenous tubing while being supported by the stand. Intravenous bag stands are often provided with casters, in order to follow the patient in his/her displacements.
When patients in wheelchairs, hospital beds or carts are displaced while being fed by intravenous bags, a hospital attendant must ensure that the stand remains close to the patient, if the wheelchair, hospital bed or cart does not have a support for the stand. This results in the slow and awkward displacement of such patients. In some emergency instances, it is often required that more than one attendant be involved in the transfer of a patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,191, issued on Aug. 4, 1992 to Schmuhl, discloses a medical support system provided with casters. The support system has a telescopic pole supporting fluid bags and associated equipment. The pole has two different diameters at a bottom end thereof, so as to be fitted in wheelchairs, hospital beds and carts. A fixed brace is provided with a knob, and a rotation of the knob results in pressure threadingly applied to the pole, so as to lock the pole to the stand, wheelchair, hospital bed or cart.
One of the issues associated with such locking systems is that they are manipulated by a plurality of attendants. Accordingly, it has often occurred that stronger attendants tighten the knob with such force that other attendants loosen the knob.
Also, the pole supports intravenous bags and mechanical devices. Accordingly, the pole is quite heavy, rendering the action of transferring of the pole from stand to wheelchair/bed exclusive to some stronger attendants.